Detroit Tigers - TeamReport

Six candidates into five rotation spots won't go but that doesn't mean Detroit is going to give away Rick Porcello, the most likely candidate to be traded.

It's the biggest question of the Tigers' spring training behind whether Bruce Rondon can close and thus will be revisited often, but it's one that doesn't require an answer until the last week of March at the earliest and the end of July at the latest. If a Detroit starter gets hurt, it's a problem that wouldn't arise until next off-season.

Anibal Sanchez was scheduled to depart camp Mar. 2 to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. Miguel Cabrera, Omar Infante and Octavio Dotel were the other Tigers playing in the spring tournament.

The departure of Sanchez means Detroit will be able to get its other five starters ready in turn without having to use minor leaguers or a conglomeration of relievers.

Max Scherzer was scheduled to make his first exhibition game start Sunday, not because of the right deltoid problems he had at the end of the season but more in line with the way he got ready for last year's 16-win season.

The plan is to have Scherzer start six times during spring training, one less than a year ago.

"It was more by design," he said. "If I wanted to, I could've gone out there, but it wasn't worth it.

"I would've rather taken the extra time and go through the full long-toss program. I don't want the extra workload."

Justin Verlander is also getting a little less work than last spring as the club tries to make the workhorse's innings count.

Porcello is battling second-year man Drew Smyly for the last spot in Detroit's rotation and after giving up a three-run home run Feb. 27 in his second spring start the wolves came out howling again.

He retired all six batters he faced in his first start but gave up a three-run home run on a 1-0 pitch with two out and first base open.

"Porcello made, I hope, a selection he would not make during the season," manager Jim Leyland said. "He threw the ball very well, but he won't make that pitch with first base open, and a left-handed hitter up there, during the season. He's just building up."

Porcello has won 48 games in his four seasons and there seems to be a notion in some quarters (obviously not GM Dave Dombrowski's) the Tigers should trade him for just about anybody to get back to five starters.

Injuries happen. Fatigue happens. To every team in baseball.

The value of a right-hander who has won 48 times in four years is only going to go up as the 2013 season plays out.

Meantime the young veteran continues to work on his slider and curve in an effort to find a reliable fourth pitch to go with his two- and four-seam fastballs plus his changeup.

"I'm not going to judge people only on outs -- particularly this early," Leyland said. "He's throwing the ball better, and his breaking ball is better."

"I'm definitely working on mixing up pitches, for sure," Porcello said. "If there's a certain pitch I feel I need more work on, I'll throw it a little more right now."

"You have to prove yourself every day. You have to continue to show that you're good and keep going out there and competing."

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MLB Team Report - Detroit Tigers - NOTES, QUOTES

--RHP Anibal Sanchez was scheduled to leave Saturday to begin working out with the Venezuelan team for participation in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Sanchez made his second start of the spring for the Tigers Feb. 28, posting three scoreless innings. Detroit retained the free agent by offering him $80 million over the next five seasons. While his innings won't be supervised by the Tigers, the club knows safeguards are in place to protect pitchers from being overused. If his team reaches the finals of the tournament it will mean he would only be able to make two more starts for the Tigers this spring. "I'm not worried about the other guys, like Omar (Infante) and Miguel (Cabrera)," C Alex Avila said, "but the WBC is tougher for pitchers. In spring training games, you're working on stuff. There, you're throwing tough pitches because you're trying to get guys out. There's more meaning behind a pitch. It's a little bit different as far as the adrenaline. It's different for this time of the year. There've been guys who reacted both ways to it."

--RHP Justin Verlander turned in three perfect innings Mar. 1 in his second exhibition start of the spring. "It was a good day for me," Verlander said. "For the most part, I felt like my fastball location was as good if not better than what it should be right now. For this time of year, it was coming out free and easy. I threw a couple of hanging breaking balls, but that's usually the last thing which comes around for me."